Media Globalizations Effect on the Creation of Hybrid Identity - Research Paper Example

05 December Media Globalization’s Effect on the Creation of Hybrid Identity and the Use of the Internet toProject This Simulated Image of the Self Introduction The beginning of the 21st century was marked with the rapid expansion of the globalization trends in all spheres of the human activity. That globalization is a complex phenomenon cannot be denied. More interesting and important, however, are the changes in the perceptions about the individual and cultural self in the atmosphere of the ongoing integration and universalization of the individual and cultural beliefs. Understanding the issues of identity in the globalized reality by social scientists is essential for several reasons. First, globalization generally implies the sweeping changes in demographic, cultural, and technological trends which, in their turn, turn cosmopolitanism into the distinctive feature of the routine reality. The question is in whether individuals have a chance to preserve their own uniqueness and withstand the pressure of cosmopolitanism without losing their cultural and individual identity. Second, although globalization opens new frontiers and facilitates international contacts and relationships, many cultures and individuals perceive globalization as a serious threat to their identity. Given the overall irreversibility of the globalization processes, social scientists must develop new practical frameworks, which will make globalization work for the benefit of the cultural masses. Finally, technology is fairly regarded as the principal driver of globalization in the postmodern world. Therefore, how technology impacts identities, and what globalization has to do with the rapid expansion of global media requires detailed analysis. This knowledge will help to prevent and reduce the scope of identity crises, which necessarily follow the intervention of the new forms of global media and technological communication with countries, cultures, and individual selves. Literature Review Globalization and its Theoretical Dimensions. The current state of literature provides an insight into what globalization is, how it impacts identities, and how the rapid expansion of the global media instruments contributes to the development of the new identity thinking. Despite a wealth of literature on the topic, many questions are still without answers. Moreover, how to conceptualize globalization remains the issue of the mounting scholarly concern. Generally, globalization means “the transformation of temporal and spatial limitation, that is the shrinking of distance due to the dramatic reduction in the time needed to bridge spatial differences that has, in turn, resulted in the gradual integration of political, economic, and social space across national borders.” (Hall 1) Simply stated, globalization implies and is generally associated with the rapid destruction of the geographic borders and spatial barriers, which facilitate the development and maintenance of the international contacts. The latter, in turn, result in the development of the new cosmopolitan thinking and turn multiculturalism into the distinctive feature of everyday life. Globalization is multifaceted and complex. To a large extent, globalization is a combination of the two broad processes – that of integration, synchronization, and universalism; and that of differentiation, heterogeneity, localization, and particularism (Hall 4). Actually, modern scholars often treat localization as an inevitable byproduct of globalization and an effective globalization’s counterforce. It is possible that localization serves a reasonable response to the threats of universalization and standardization, but this assumption requires further analysis. Scholars in social studies tend to associate globalization with (a) localization and (b) uncertainty (Hermans & Dimaggio 34). Localization reflects the paradox of globalization which sometimes causes a crisis of individual and cultural identity: while the whole world is slowly moving toward global uniformity, the cultural distinctions are becoming sharper (Hermans & Dimaggio 34). Globalization, which is believed to lead to uniformity and standardization, intensifies cultural heterogeneity and stresses cultural oppositions (Hermans & Dimaggio 34). In this sense, globalization stands out as a unique combination of the two seemingly incompatible trends: globalization that crosses the boundaries and results in intercultural connectedness and localization that must help cultural and social groups preserve their uniqueness (Hermans & Dimaggio 35). Uncertainty is another essential dimension of globalization. Globalization allows increased border crossing and physical movement (Hermans & Dimaggio 36). Such global development and the unification of the social, economic and political ideas lead to the rise of the neo-liberal ideologies and the loss of control over the economic and social development in the developing and developed worlds (Hermans & Dimaggio 36). States’ involvement in their economic and social affairs diminishes, and a new autonomy vacuum is created, in which demagogic regimes and leaders emerge as a result of the people’s striving for certainty (Hermans & Dimaggio 36). Such regimes, together with globalization and unification, contribute to the development of the significant social, economic, and technological divides (Hermans & Dimaggio 36). Globalization of Media. Globalization and media go hand in hand. More often than not, mediascapes play a very important role in the development of globalization trends and change the ways individuals position themselves in the global society (Black 399). However, only a few authors provide a review of the current theoretical and practical developments in the context of media globalization. It seems that most scholars treat the concept of media globalization as something, which is familiar and understandable to the masses and thus does not need any explanation. In this sense, the work of Jan is of particular value, as long as the author provides a detailed explanation to the various dimensions of media globalization and its implications for identity development. It should be noted, that twenty years ago, the world talked a lot about the intensifying Americanization of the international media (Jan 69). Today, although American continues playing the dominant role in the expansion of the newest media forms, Americanization is giving place to globalization, when other media industries and cultures are growing more influential (Jan 69). To a large extent, the globalization of media is a combination of the two dominant trends: first, such globalization “occurs as a result of the activities in advanced countries of news and entertainment media that produce films, television programs, and popular music and distribute them to countries all over the world” (Jan 70). Second, globalization of media presupposes the dominance of one or several particular countries and the development of a few media conglomerates, which mostly reside in the Western world and expand their influence worldwide (Jan 70). In the study of identity changes, the concept of media globalization is important for several reasons. First, media are the central instrument of provision of symbolic and cultural resources (Jan 71). Therefore, media serve the principal channel in the distribution of the symbolic and cultural powers at a global scale (Jan 71). Second, globalization of media is closely associated with the circulation of political and social power: it impacts one’s ability to pursue their interests and aims and to intervene with the major course of event and influence their outcomes (Jan 72). Taking into account that media globalization presupposes the dominance of a few media conglomerates which transfer their symbolic power globally, it is possible that such dominance will cause conflicts in the individual, national, and cultural identity in different parts of the world. Contemporary literature discusses the issue of identity struggles at the age of globalization, but understanding the implications of these issues is impossible without trying to grasp the meaning of “identity” in global research. Identity: Questioning Globalization? The term “identity” had been often used as a vital element of professional sociology research, but it was not before Erickson that the meaning and implications of “identity” for sociologists and media professionals became clear (Brewer 477). The term “identity” is currently associated with the meanings of uniqueness, personhood, sameness, and the continuity of personal uniqueness (Brewer 478). In the current state of sociological research, the term “identity” is integrally linked to the social identification of the self against the social reality in which this identity is bound to exist. Simply stated, identity is treated as a form of social compromise between the self and the objective social reality (Brewer 480). In the social contexts, identity is being torn between the two contradictory trends – on the one hand, we can see a constant need to be unique and different from the rest of the society; on the other hand, the need for assimilation and security is difficult to underestimate (Brewer 480). Such assimilation is impossible without maintaining some kind of personal solidarity with the rest of the social group (Brewer 481). The relationship and interconnectedness of these differentiation and assimilation trends is sometimes referred to as “a dialogical conception of the self” (Hermans & Dimaggio 37). According to Hermans and Dimaggio, the dialogical conception of the self is necessary to maintain effective connections between identity and the rest of the world (37). Hermans and Dimaggio are confident that the growing interconnectedness of cultures, nations, and beliefs results in the growing multiculturalism of the self – identities transform and come to exemplify a complex combination of numerous cultures within themselves (37). Simultaneously, globalization leads to increased heterogeneity and sharpens the cultural distinctions between different social groups (Hermans & Dimaggio 37). As a consequence, dialogical capacity is the best way for individuals to avoid a crisis of identity, and maintain a reasonable balance between differentiation and standardization in the global reality. Such dialogical capacity is the best way to recognize and deal with the cultural conflicts and differences that emerge as a result of accelerating globalization, including the globalization of media forces. It is interesting to note, that, when discussed in the context of globalization, some scholars conceptualize the meaning of identity as the interplay between different facets of homogenization and diversification (Hermans & Dimaggio 37). Here, identity is discussed as the reflection of globalization processes at the individual, sub-national, national, and supra-national levels. The effects of globalization on cultures and societies notwithstanding, the significance of the global influences on the daily lives of individuals cannot be neglected. From the individual perspective, globalization challenges individual ideas about the social reality and often disrupts the process of identity formation (Bauman 40). Such disruption follows the conflict between the emerging ideas about multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism and the development of the new individualistic trends (Bauman 42). At the sub-national level, globalization affects individual ideas about their community and the social group to which they belong (Bauman 49). Individuals naturally look for the sense of belonging, which is possible only when these individuals can define the clear boundaries of their social community (Bauman 50). In other words, the distinction between “us” and “them” is essential for the development of identity at the sub-national level (Bauman 50). From the viewpoint of the nation, globalization affects the overall position of the nation-state in the globalized world (Bauman 50). Previously, nation-states served as the principal unit of territorial and cultural measurement, but globalization shifts the boundaries of national identity to the supra-national level. Baoill claims that “the health of a national identity can be measured by the extent to which the various ‘nations’ comprising the nation-state willingly subsume their parochial identities to that of a supra-national identity” (4). However, in the atmosphere of globalization, unification, and uniformity, many nations are reluctant to give up their uniqueness and are unwilling to transfer their identity ideas to become a part of some supra-national formation (Baoill 4). This is where the struggles of identity with globalization become evident and intense. The reciprocal link between globalization and identity is further complicated by the fact that identity and self-identification is a process never completed (Koc 37). Identity is constantly in the process of becoming and is never in the state of being (Koc 38), which means that globalization of media may have a profound influence on the development and transformation of the representation of self at the individual and national levels. Unfortunately, modern scholars in sociology do not pay too much attention to the individual struggles of identity in globalization discourses but concentrate on the discussion of the national identity changes under the pressure of globalization forces. Media, globalization, and identity. The current state of research provides a wealth of information about how globalization, and media globalization in particular, affects the development of national identities in various countries. Surprisingly or not, China and Asian countries are the most frequent objects of such analysis. The reasons behind their research popularity are difficult to explain. On the one hand, it is possible that, as a country that has recently opened its communist walls to the achievements and knowledge from all over the world, China is currently undergoing a profound restructuring of its new, global identity. On the other hand, Asian countries have traditionally been the principal sources of technological and media revolutions, and the effects of these technologies on their own identity needs to be better understood. These, however, are the assumptions that require further analysis. In the meantime, researchers claim and evaluate the difficulties in the development of the new reciprocal ties between national identities and the rest of the social world as a result of media globalization. In this context, Ang explored and analyzed the concept of Asianness following the emergence of the Western-dominated media industry in the Asian region at the beginning of the 90s (20). The results of his research supported previous assumptions about media globalization as the process that leads to the rapid expansion of the Western media conglomerates (Ang 20). Ang (21) concluded that globalization of the media to Asian territories reflected in the rapid development of the new national identity, which sharpened the distinctions between Asia and the rest of the world. Local companies used the Asian national identity as the source of their competitive advantage in the Asian media market (Ang 27). The expansion of the Western media in Asia resembled a clash of civilizations, which transformed into a struggle for national identity (Ang 28). These conclusions and ideas were further supported by Fong, who assumed that media globalization has a potential to either democratize or destabilize national identities (255). This is, particularly, the case of China, which has recently opened its borders and regimes to external political and social influences. However, Fong suggests that the extent to which media globalization affects identity and results in the development of the hybrid self depends on the type of the media: orderly media, including radio and newspapers, can be closed down or monitored by the state; thus, they do not present much danger to the stability of the national Chinese identity (257). More threatening to the national identity are disorderly media, represented by text messages, faxes, and phone calls, which reveal a tremendous subversive potential (Fong 257). Based on the current knowledge of media globalization and their effects on national identity, it is possible that different countries and cultural groups will perceive the same effects of media globalization. Like in Asia, media globalization in Latin America exemplifies a combination of the two distinct processes – unification and diversification of cultures (Servaes 86). Globalization creates a challenge and further speeds up the expansion of the cultural distinctions between nations (Servaes 87). Cultural identity is a complex combination of traditions, customs, symbols, and patterns which ultimately form and maintain cultural self-awareness (Rahim & Pawanteh 226). Globalization does not change but, on the contrary, reinforces these hybrid meanings and leads to the development of multiple localized identities (Servaes 87). Thus, protecting national identities from the effects of media globalization is quite possible (Chaker 8; Lum 102). The question is in the role which technologies and Internet play in the creation, preservation, and projection of these national identities and their merging as a result of media globalization. Globalization, Identity, and Internet: Projecting the Meanings. The Internet and its influence on the development of identities in the globalized reality is a frequent topic of professional research. Several contemporary scholars attempted to explore the link between technologies, the Internet, the media, and national / personal identity. Tamang explored the effects of globalization and the Internet on the Chinese identity and argued that the online media websites provided Chinese immigrants to Canada with better opportunities to negotiate their identity in relation to Chinese and Canadian ethnic groups (8). “Not only media, but even emails do play a role in the construction of collective identity – the fact is in that the process of the collective identity formation is an inherently communicative process” (Kavada 817). Emails and email lists reflect these collective identities and, in their turn, result in “the formation of a cohesive collective identity for the email list members” (Kavada 817). That the Internet and technologies change the way identities are formed, perceived, and projected, is largely due to the intensity and extensiveness of the Internet use in different countries. However, contrary to the conclusions by Kavada and Tamang, the Internet does not change collective identities; rather, it reinforces the relevance of the pre-existing national and cultural norms (Sokol & Sisler 1). Sokol and Sisler (1) explored the use of the social networking opportunities in the United Arab Emirates and came to realize that the cultural, gender, and religious distinctions and roles in the Arab society are further duplicated in how different people in UAE use the Internet. Women and older Arabs did not use social networks as often as their younger male counterparts (Sokol & Sisler 19). Simultaneously, the Internet has a potential to erase the distinction between the recipients and the sources of the cultural identity norms (Bennett 34). The rapid expansion of technologies shifts the distribution of the power roles in societies and social groups, but what societies and groups are more or less susceptible to these power influences is yet to be discovered. Also, the factors beyond the intensiveness of power influences of the Internet on national and individual identities need to be explored. Despite these controversies, the Internet remains one of the principal drivers of globalization, and media globalization, in particular (Haraway 29). Based on everything that has been described in this paper, two principal conclusions deserve attention. Literature Review: Two Principal Conclusions. First, the rapid globalization of the media and speedy expansion of the Internet is likely to result in numerous identity crises. This is particularly relevant for the newly emerged countries and the countries that are undergoing a rapid cultural, economic, and social transformation (Babran 212). The opening of the new frontiers and increased availability of information requires that such countries develop efficient cultural and media frameworks, which will help them to preserve their identities and withstand the pressure of unification. Countries that fail to compete with the growing information exchange and deal with the new forms of communication will face the risks of losing their identity in the long run (Babran 212). This conclusion helps to explain why some authors treat media globalization and the Internet as the force of negotiating identities (Tamang 8), while others perceive the Internet and global media as the instrument that reinforces pre-existing cultural conditions (Sokol & Sisler 19). Second, the globalization of media has a potential to become the instrument of standardization (Hjarvard 81). In this sense, the globalization of the media is similar to the globalization in general, which uniquely combines the features of unification and diversification (Hermans & Dimaggio 37). Today, the standardization of identity largely occurs through the standardization of language patterns – needless to say, the English language has already become a universal instrument of communication (Hjarvard 81). These results again support the belief that the effects of standardization on the countries and identities depend on the strength and efficiency of the existing cultural networks. However the Internet reduces or reinforces the effects of these standardization trends is yet to be discovered. Taking into account that modern researchers pay more attention to the effects of media globalization on national than individual identity, the future research must concentrate on the changes in individual identity as a result of media globalization and the role of the Internet in the projection of these individualities. Research question and methodology The questions for the future research include: What is individual identity? What is media globalization? How are media globalization and the Internet interrelated? How does globalization of the media affect the formation of individual identities? What role does the Internet play in the expansion and distribution of these identities in the globalized reality? What are the implications of the media globalization – identity – Internet connection for policymaking? For the purpose of the proposed study, personal interviews will be used to explore the changes in identity perceptions as a result of media expansion. Individuals from the developing countries will be asked to participate in the study. The choice of the developing countries is justified by the assumption, that these countries are currently undergoing a profound identity restructuring (Babran 212). Adults aged between 25 and 35 will be contacted via Skype to conduct personal interviews. Unfortunately, the proposed methodology is associated with significant limitations. First, the processes of data collection and analyses are extremely time-consuming. Second, not all respondents may be willing to use communication software like Skype, due to their confidentiality concerns. Third, not all respondents in the developing countries may have access to Skype or other means of electronic communication, and the process of gathering data may become particularly problematic. The most serious limitation, however, is in that the sample of adults aged between 25 and 35 years may not be representative. In this situation, it will be difficult to assess the scope of identity changes as a result media globalization. Apparently, the proposed research will be only the initial stage toward complex understanding of media globalization and its effects on individual identity. Nevertheless, such research is of vital importance for the sociology professionals, who want to look deeper into the changes in individual perceptions and attitudes that occur as a result of the rapid media expansion at a global scale. Research/ Case study It should be noted, that this paper presents just a tiny share of everything that has been written or said about globalization, media, and identity. The required number of pages for this paper is not enough to provide a full overview of available literature on the topic. Also, this paper does not answer many questions related to the study of global identities but poses questions that need to be answered in the future research. Yet, the value and contribution of this paper to the knowledge of globalization, media, and their effects on identify formation is meaningful. The research delineates the principal concepts, their definitions and interrelations, as presented by different scholars. The confusions, limitations, and controversies in the contemporary research are discussed. This research creates a very general picture of everything that is happening to individuals and nations under the influence of media globalization. The results of this analysis suggest that much time will pass before the world has a perfect knowledge of the identity formation processes and changes that follow globalization of media. Works Cited Ang, I. “Desperately Guarding Borders: Media Globalization, Cultural Imperialism and the Rise of ‘Asia’.” In Y. Souchou, House of Glass: Culture, Modernity and the State in Southeast Asia. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2000. Print. 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Fong, V.L. “Media, Identity, and Structure in Twenty-First-Century China.” Critical Asian Studies, 39.2 (2007): 255-258. Print. Hall, S. “Who Needs Identity?” In S. Hall and P. Gay, Questions of Cultural Identity, London: Sage. Print. Haraway, D. Cyborgs and Symbionts: Living Together in the New World Order. New York: Routledge, 1999. Hermans, H.J. & Dimaggio, G. “Self, Identity, and Globalization in Times of Uncertainty: A Dialogical Analysis.” Review of General Psychology, 11.1 (2007): 31-61. Print. Hjarvard, S. “The Globalization of Language: How the Media Contribute to the Spread of English and the Emergence of Medialects.” Plenary Session – Media, Globalization and Identity, 75-99. Print. Jan, M. “Globalization of Media: Key Issues and Dimensions.” European Journal of Scientific Research, 29.1 (2009): 66-75. Print. Kavada, A. “Email Lists and the Construction of an Open and Multifaceted Identity.” Information, Communication & Society, 12.6 (2009): 817-839. Print. Koc, M. “Cultural Identity Crisis in the Age of Globalization and Technology.” The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 5.1 (2006): 37-42. Print. Lum, C.H. “Home Musical Environment of Children in Singapore: On Globalization, Technology, and Media.” Journal of Research in Music Education, 56.2 (2008): 101-17. Print. Rahim, S.A. & Pawanteh, L. “Media Penetration and Cultural Identity Among Young Adults in Malaysia.” European Journal of Social Sciences, 11.2 (2009): 225-33. Print. Servaes, J. “Demystifying Media Globalization in Latin America.” Journal of Iberian and Latin American Studies, 9.2 (2003): 69-95. Print. Sokol, D. & Sisler, V. “Socializing on the Internet: Case Study of Internet Use Among University Students in the United Arab Emirates.” Global Media Journal, 9.16 (2010): 1-34. Print. Tamang, R. “Negotiating Chinese Identity in the Internet Age.” Asian Social Science, 4.11 (2008): 8-12. Print. Read More